The Romance of Hua Rong 2 Episode 9 Recap
> The Romance of Hua Rong 2 Recap
Early in the morning, Qin Shangcheng sat by Hua Rong's bedside. She was blindfolded and believed she had lost her sight. Qin Shangcheng asked her why she had chosen this path. Hua Rong explained that she understood his previous deceptions, but she wished he would understand her too. He had always protected and sacrificed for her, even taking Life-killing Poison (Duoming Ying) to give her the hope of life.
She felt it was her turn to give him the hope of light. However, Qin Shangcheng then removed her blindfold, revealing that he had awakened in time to prevent the eye transplant. He expressed deep regret at the mere thought of what could have happened. Dismayed, Hua Rong wanted to confront Hua Sanlang, but Qin Shangcheng informed her that he had already released the Snake King, rendering Hua Sanlang powerless to proceed.
Still determined, Hua Rong insisted there must be another healer in the world. Qin Shangcheng calmed her, telling her he would take her to a special place. They arrived at Qin Shangcheng’s favorite childhood spot, where watching the tide held a special charm for him. Hua Rong asked him to reveal his true intentions.
He recounted how his adoptive father had brought him there as a child, teaching him to log and build ships, and speaking of healers across the sea who could restore his vision. Excited, Hua Rong urged them to depart immediately. However, Qin Shangcheng gently held her hand, explaining that such a journey would take a year or more.
He confessed that while they could temporarily ignore the conflicts between Tianchu and Nanhuang, he could not be at peace if he were to regain his sight only to witness Tianchu suffering from war. Though once a free pirate, his marriage to Hua Rong meant he could no longer stand idly by. He acknowledged her worries but emphasized his own concern for the people of Tianchu. His only desire was to fulfill their shared wish of protecting Tianchu together.
Understanding his resolve, Hua Rong presented him with an early honeymoon gift: a jade bottle containing strands of both their hair. She explained that according to her mother's people, mermaids living in the deep sea were omnipotent, and wishes placed in such bottles and cast into the ocean would come true. Together, they made a wish, and Hua Rong threw the bottle into the sea, wishing for Qin Shangcheng’s swift recovery, and promising to be his eyes until that day.
Princess Chu Fengling was found drinking, looking troubled, which worried Qian Dayou. She regretted misunderstanding Hua Rong, realizing her deep loyalty, and felt Hua Rong was worthy of being the aunt of the man she adored. Not wanting to disgrace the Qin family, she announced her intention to confront Duanmu Bai. Qian Dayou intervened, suggesting a more strategic approach than mere fighting. Chu Fengling then devised a clever plan.
She had Duanmu Bai tied up and attempted to make him drink "Drunken Immortals" (Xianren Zui), a potent liquor said to make even deities compliant. However, Duanmu Bai outsmarted her; she accidentally drank the concoction herself and promptly vomited onto Qian Dayou and Zhang Xian, causing all three to pass out. Later, Duanmu Bai asked Ling where Hua Rong was. Ling indignantly revealed that Hua Rong intended to give her eyes to Qin Shangcheng and had no time for him.
Duanmu Bai, stunned, realized that Hua Rong was the "Little White Dove" he had been searching for. He now understood that his earlier plan to seize the Holy Sword (Shengjian) was largely to avoid a forced marriage to Hua Rong and return to the capital to find Little White Dove. With Little White Dove now found in Hua Rong, there was no need for such drastic measures.
He decided he must now focus on changing Hua Rong's negative impression of him, resolving to win her over properly. He believed that with her love for white and warm smiles, she would surely come to see him differently. Upon their return, Duanmu Bai, having changed into white and offering an innocent smile, approached Hua Rong. He admitted his previous methods were flawed and offered to treat Qin Shangcheng's eyes to make amends.
Qin Shangcheng, despite Hua Rong's apprehensions about Duanmu Bai's motives, agreed, assuring her he could handle any trickery. Hua Rong pressed Duanmu Bai for his true reasons. He revealed he was doing it for someone profoundly important to him, someone who had offered him new hope in his darkest hour, and whom he had only just discovered was by his side.
Qin Shangcheng, overhearing this, suspected that Duanmu Bai had stopped their fight in Meiyin Valley earlier because of Hua Rong. Hua Rong, however, misinterpreted Duanmu Bai's words, believing that he had stopped fighting because Qin Shangcheng had used Cloud Crane Hero's (Yunhe Daxia's) unique techniques, and therefore, Qin Shangcheng must be this important benefactor. During the meticulous treatment, Qin Shangcheng probed Duanmu Bai, noting the complex yet precise acupuncture technique.
When asked why his attitude towards "his aunt" (referring to Hua Rong) was different, Duanmu Bai explained it was because Hua Rong had saved his life multiple times. Qin Shangcheng then directly asked if "his aunt" (Hua Rong) was still the most important person to him. Duanmu Bai, referring to the arranged marriage, claimed Hua Rong was Prince Mu's Heir Princess and thus his most important person.
This confirmed Qin Shangcheng's suspicion that Hua Rong was indeed the person Duanmu Bai referred to. Hua Rong, also seeking clarity, asked Lan Tian about Duanmu Bai's most important person. Lan Tian hinted it was someone connected to a "bird," which Hua Rong again misunderstood, linking it to "Yunhe" (crane, a bird) and solidifying her belief that Qin Shangcheng was Duanmu Bai's secret benefactor.
The treatment was successful, and Duanmu Bai stated that the bandages could be removed in ten days. Hua Rong was filled with joy and thanked him. Duanmu Bai, encouraged by Hua Rong's inquiries about his "important person," believed she was starting to change her opinion of him and eagerly anticipated an opportunity to confess his true feelings. Xiaoyue confessed to Hua Rong that she had lied about her sister.
Her twin sister, Xiaoxing, was still alive but had been sent to Nanhuang by Shangguan Hong to be a courtesan. Xiaoyue begged Hua Rong to take her to Nanhuang to rescue Xiaoxing, offering to be at Hua Rong's disposal afterwards. Hua Rong forgave Xiaoyue, understanding her difficult circumstances, and promised to rescue Xiaoxing, treating her as her own sister. She then pressed Xiaoyue for more information.
Xiaoyue revealed that she and Xiaoxing, along with a dozen other girls, were captured by Shangguan Hong six months prior. They were all poisoned and trained in various skills, including martial arts, flattery, and arts. The skilled ones became assassins, while the beautiful ones were sent to Nanhuang and Tianchu as courtesans or concubines to gather intelligence from officials. When asked about Shangguan Hong’s mastermind, Xiaoyue stated that no one had seen him except Shangguan Hong himself.
Hua Rong concluded that to uncover the true orchestrator, they first needed to find the imperial son-in-law, and that her "Fairy Spy" network could finally be put to use. She told Xiaoyue to rest and recover, reiterating her promise to safely bring Xiaoxing back. Qin Shangcheng’s men, Qian Dayou and Zhang Xian, learned that he had previously saved Duanmu Bai. They were furious, pointing out that Duanmu Bai had framed Qin Shangcheng and now coveted Hua Rong.
Zhang Xian suggested telling Hua Rong, but Qin Shangcheng dismissed the idea, stating he would handle Duanmu Bai himself, confident in his own superiority in matters of love, even if their martial arts were evenly matched. He then warned them that there was still another person to be wary of, not just Shangguan Hong. He clarified that Shangguan Hong was merely a pawn, and a true mastermind was behind him.
This individual aimed to kill Hua Rong because she was crucial to the marriage alliance intended to exchange for the imperial son-in-law. Since Tianlu City was the final stop before reaching Nanhuang, Qin Shangcheng was certain the mastermind would exploit this last opportunity to strike, necessitating careful preparation. Hua Rong and her companions arrived in Tianlu City, a border defense city that had suffered greatly from the war with Nanhuang.
The locals warmly welcomed them, viewing the impending royal intermarriage as a path to peace. Princess Chu Fengling, however, still harbored reservations about the marriage alliance itself, expressing sorrow that a general's daughter should be forced into such an arrangement. Hua Rong vowed to find a solution that would secure peace without requiring her to marry. Ling, meanwhile, openly declared her affection for Qin Shangcheng, despite Hua Rong’s warnings about unrequited love, asserting her right to pursue destiny.
As Hua Rong and Duanmu Bai were invited to participate in the city's annual Dawn Festival, where it was customary to sprinkle mulberry pollen-based spices on respected individuals, many townspeople voiced their hopes for peace through the union of General Hua's daughter and Heir Duanmu. Qin Shangcheng observed the situation with skepticism, asserting that the marriage might be merely Duanmu Bai's wishful thinking. Duanmu Bai, however, professed his enduring love for Hua Rong, claiming patience would prevail.
Duanmu Bai, keen to win Hua Rong over, learned of a local custom: making a wish at the top of Tianlu Mountain at sunrise during the Dawn Festival would ensure its fulfillment. He planned to confess his feelings to Hua Rong there, hoping to secure not only her acceptance but also the blessings of her friends, despite their obvious hostility towards him.
Meanwhile, Qian Dayou and Zhang Xian, investigating Duanmu Bai, discovered a collection of Hua Rong's letters to her family and a portrait of her painted by Duanmu Bai. They reported their findings to Qin Shangcheng, expressing concern that Duanmu Bai and Hua Rong might be childhood sweethearts and that Hua Rong could be swayed. Qin Shangcheng, trusting Hua Rong's heart, instructed them to return the items and pretend nothing happened.
Duanmu Bai attempted to curry favor with Hua Rong's friends, offering golden coin oranges to Ling and a traditional Southern Desolation herbal remedy to Zhang Xian for his pregnant wife, Hui, to ensure a safe delivery. Ling, while still intent on confessing to Qin Shangcheng at the festival, was advised by Qian Dayou to wear a distinctive yellow dress and her golden hairpin so Qin Shangcheng could spot her when his sight returned.
Duanmu Bai also offered Ling a remedy for a pimple, showing his uncanny understanding of her desires beyond mere bribes, correctly identifying her longing for a life of adventure and heroes. His efforts were successful in winning superficial cooperation from Hua Rong's friends, who then reported his plans for a "surprise" at the mountain summit to Qin Shangcheng. Qin Shangcheng, suspecting the mastermind behind Shangguan Hong would exploit the Dawn Festival to attack Hua Rong, prepared a countermeasure.
He presented Hua Rong with a unique "Qin Hua Spice," made with wormwood, which he promised to make only for her. The spice's unique blend of bitter and sweet symbolized their journey together, and he vowed that she would be the first person he saw upon regaining his sight. Unbeknownst to them, the mastermind was indeed preparing for Hua Rong’s demise, predicting she would not see the next sunrise.
At the same time, Duanmu Bai, seeing Hua Rong carving a tree with the words "Ten years of travel, ten years of dedication. Be true to myself. Never change my mind until I die," interpreted it as a sign of her long-standing affection for him (Little White Dove) and renewed his determination not to let her down.
